Book jacketing device

ABSTRACT

A device usable in the application of jackets to books and including a horizontal portion on which a stack of jackets are stored with retaining blocks confining the jackets in stacked alignment. The blocks are positionable on and lockable to the horizontal portion of the device. A pair of page holding plates confine the closed, upright pages of a book to be jacketed to permit the front and rear book covers to lie flat on the uppermost jacket sheet of the stack whereupon the user may rapidly and simultaneously fold both edges of the jacket over the book covers.

[451 Dec. 19, 1972 [54] BOOK JACKETING DEVICE [72] inventor: James A. Cullen, Route l, Box 159,

Silverton, Oreg. 9738i 22] Filed: Sept. 3, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 177,581

-[52] U.S.Cl ..ll/l

6/1953 De Florcz et al.

7/1960 Barrett et al ..1 III R Primary Examiner-'-Lawrence Charles Attorney-James D. Givnan, Jr.

[5 7 ABSTRACT A device usable in the application of jackets to books and including a horizontal portion on which a stack of jackets are stored with retaining blocks confining the jackets in stacked alignment. The blocks are positionable on and lockable to the horizontal portion of the device. A pair of page holding plates confine the closed, upright pages of a book to be jacketed to permit the front and rear book covers to lie flat on the uppermost jacket sheet of the stack whereupon the user may rapidly and simultaneously fold both edges of the jacket over the book covers.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures ATENTEDMI: 19 I972 3, 706; l 01 INVENTOR JAMES A. CULLEN BOOK JACKETING. DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention is embodied within a structure for use in the application of paper jackets to books.

The single paper sheet applied exteriorly to a bound book is termed in the book publishing art a jacket. The conventional application of a jacket to a book entails a manual positioning of the book on the open jacket with the jacket ends being sequentially folded intermediate the book covers and the first and last book pages. When done manually, the book jacketing operation requires a crew of workers and depending on the number of books to be jacketed a substantial man hour effort may result with consequent costs.

Recently in the book printing art machinery has been introduced for the application of book jackets to hardback books. Such equipment is complex and very costly and accordingly only warranted for use in large printing firms. In smaller printing firms the'only alternative has been use of the aforementioned crew of workers, with each worker manually applying the book jacket unaided by any assisting device. To assist'such workers, book jackets are sometimes scored to indicate the area for placement and for fold lines during the jacketing operation. Such scoring of the jacket is of some aid to the workers but undesirably adds to the cost of the jackets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant device provides means for positioning a book with its covers open upon a stack of book jackets to greatly facilitate the application of the jacket.

The device includes a base upon which a plurality of stacked book jackets may be located with respect to a pair of page holders intermediate of which the book pages are temporarily held away from the book covers. The person applying the book jackets with the present device is free to use both hands in applying the book jacket as opposed to an unaided jacketing operation where the worker must simultaneously hold the book while applying the book jacket. Accordingly, over a work period the output of a worker is greatly increased. The supply of book jackets, in place on the device, is retained in precise placement on the base and along with the book retention means assures precise application of the jacket and hence no costly scoring of the jackets is required.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a device for use by both large and small printing firms and having as its primary objective the reduction of book jacketing costs. The worker aided by the instant device may double or triple his production with a substantial reduction in hourly effort.

An additional important object of the present invention is to provide a device of low manufacturing cost making it accessible for use even within the smallest of printing firms. As earlier mentioned automatic equipment exists for applying book jackets however such equipment is costly and only practical when in. large volume use.

A further important object of the present invention is the provision of a book jacketing device readily adaptable to all different sizes of books. Accordingly the device may be quickly adjusted to receive different sized book jackets and to receive and hold books of different thicknesses and page sizes.

- 2 v BRIEFDESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the accompanying drawing: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the book jacketing device embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the book jacketing device,

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view of the device taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 3A is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a modification of the invention,

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a stack-retaining I block,

FIG. 5 is a detail view of the lower end of the block shown in FIG. 4, and

FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of a left hand page retaining plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS With continuing attention to the accompanying drawing wherein applied reference numerals indicate partssimilarly identified in the following specification,

the reference numeral 10 indicates generally the of blocks indicated at 14 adapted for abutment against the front edge-of a stack of book jackets indicated in broken lines at 15. A second pair of stack-retaining blocks at 16 serves to laterally confine the stacked book jackets against displacement by books' momentarily in place thereon during jacketing. Accordingly the stack of jackets is confined with the stack edges being kept true by reason of the retaining blocks 14, 16 with the rearward edge of the stack being aligned by abutment against the back member 13- of the device. Each stack-retaining block 14, 16 may be of identical construction as of the type best shown in FIG. 4. Blocks approximately two inches long and two inches high have'been found satisfactory for confining a stack of like height.

For the purpose of making the blocks 14 conveniently adjustable into place against the stack of book jackets 15 a dovetail extension 14A is formed on the lower side of the block. On the blocks 16 such an extension is indicated at 16A. A fastener in the form of a bolt 17 is counter sunk into the tops of blocks 14, 16 with its threaded shaft extending downwardly therethrough and through the dovetail extension 14A, 16A terminating in threaded engagement with a metal plate 18 as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. Plate 18 is of a trapezoidal configuration as viewed in FIG. 5 to constitute an extension of the dovetail portion of the block. The plate 18, being in threaded engagement with the fastener 17, constitutes locking means upwardly engageable with the walls of a dovetail slot as later elaborated upon. Desirably the downward extensions are offset from the vertical centerline of the block so as to pennit the block to be placed into best contact with the stack edge. a g I The horizontal portion 12 of the base is provided with a series of elongate openings in the form of dovetail shaped grooves as at 20 spaced to either side of the center of said horizontal portion and a transverse groove 21. In one embodiment of the invention such spacing may be on two and eight inch centers from the above mentioned center. The blocks 14 are slidably 'adjustable toward and away from the back member 13 by reason of their dovetailed extensions 14A being slidable within the correspondingly shaped grooves 20.

When positioned into abutment with a stack of jackets,-

the blocks 14 are subsequently locked in place by rotation of their fasteners 17 which draws the locking plates 18 upwardly to seat against the inclined upper walls of the dovetail grooves 20. r

ln-a like manner the blocks 16 are movable inwardly into aligning abutment against the remaining side edges of the stack and therewith secured in place by rotationof their fasteners 17. Accordingly the stack of book jackets 15 is securely retained in place with the rearward wall thereof in place against the upright portion 13 of the device. The blocks 14, 16 are shown as being interchangeable for economy of manufacture and simplicity of use.

Indicated generally at 23 arepage retaining means supported at an elevation above the stack of sheets 15 to receive the closed pages 24 of a book being jacketed. Said retaining means comprises spaced apart left and right hand upright plates '25-26 each adjustably mounted on the wall 13 by means of threaded studs 27 extending-rearwardly from the rearward edge of the plate and through a'slot at 28 to slidably receive the stud 27 associated with each plate withsaid slot per- I mitting spacing of the plates. interchangeable with the first described plates 25 is a second set of plates 7- 6 9f re s; wrfisa j qls a aflls closed pages 24' of larger books having pages of greater width. For greater support a pair of threaded studs at 27 extend rearwardly from each plate to slidably engage the first slotted area 28 and a second slotted area 31. Washer and nut assemblies permit secure attachment of the plates once said plates have been adjusted into juxtaposition against the closed pages of the book. Obviously, once so adjusted no further adjustment is required until a different run of books is to be jacketed.

With attention to FIG. 6 wherein a single left hand plate 25 is shown in front elevation it will be seen that the plate, as is true of the opposite plate 26 and the modified plates 2526, is of a narrow width, tapering downwardly to a bottom edge 32 of reduced width. The inner or page abutting side of the plate is indicated at 33 and is rounded along its forward upright edge 33A as shown by shading in FIGS. 3, 3A and 6 to facilitate rapid insertion of the closed pages without the risk'of a page being caught by said edge. Said forward edge ad'- ditionally terminates downwardly in a curved edge at 34 again to facilitate book placement on the jig. Tapered areas are indicated at 35-36 on plates 25-26 with such areas also being provided on the larger plates 25'-261ro' in the use of the jig a stack 15 of book jackets is put in place on the device with the blocks 14 and, 16 being adjusted as earlier described into confining abutment with the stack. Repeated adjustments of the blocks 14 and 16' will not be necessary until the jig is to be set up for jacketing books of another size. With the stack so confineda book to be jacketed is opened with all of the pages thereof being manually held closed for insertion intermediate the page retaining plates 25-26 (or 2526). The closed pages are slid between the plates 26-26 with the leading edges of the pages coming into abutment with the back walll3 of the device. The front and back covers of the book are at this time lying open at rest upon the uppermost jacket of the stack 15 of jackets. Both hands of the individual using the device are now available to fold the jacket ends over the cover edges as shown in broken lines in F 16.2. The book'is subsequently closedwith the covers being swung upwardly into overlying contact with the plates 25-26 (or 2526). The reduced thickness of the plates by reason of tapered areas 35*36 permits the book tov be'substantially closed at its end distant from-the plates by reason of slight flexing of 'said covers under closing pressure exerted by the individual. The jacketed book is then withdrawn from the device by an upward and. outward movement to complete thelbook jacketingoper ation.

Having thus described the invention'what is desired to be secured under a Letters Patent is: I 1. A device for use in applying jackets to books, said device comprising, g

a base structure adapted to receive aquantity of stacked jacket sheets,

sheet confining means adjustably carried by said base for retaining the stack of jacket sheets in stacked alignment, and 1 upright page retention means adjustably supported by said base above said stack of jacket sheets for opposite supporting engagement withthe upright disposed closed pages of .a book being jacketed whilethe covers of said book are in open resting contact with the uppermost jacket sheet of said stack of sheets, said retention means permitting the exposed ends of the jacket to be manually folded simultaneously over the open covers of the book.

i 2. A device for use in applying jackets to books as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base structure is pro- .vided with perpendicularly disposed elongate openings,

' said sheet confining meanscomprising block members disposed plates has a rounded forward edge terminatin'g downwardly in a curved portion to facilitate page insertion between the plates and their removal from said plates.

6. A device for use in applying jackets to books as claimed in claim 5 wherein each of said plates additionally includes a downwardly tapered wall portion to permit substantial closing of the book covers prior to removal of the jacketed book from the device. 

1. A device for use in applying jackets to books, said device comprising, a base structure adapted to receive a quantity of stacked jacket sheets, sheet confining means adjustably carried by said base for retaining the stack of jacket sheets in stacked alignment, and upright page retention means adjustably supported by said base above said stack of jacket sheets for opposite supporting engagement with the upright disposed closed pages of a book being jacketed while the covers of said book are in open resting contact with the uppermost jacket sheet of said stack of sheets, said retention means permitting the exposed ends of the jacket to be manually folded simultaneously over the open covers of the book.
 2. A device for use in applying jackets to books as claimed in claim 1 wherein said base structure is provided with perpendicularly disposed elongate openings, said sheet confining means comprising block members for abutment against the sides of the stack of book jackets, said block members including depending extensions slidably engageable with one of said openings in the base and locking means adjustably carried by said block members and operable to lock a stack abutting block at a point along said one opening in the base.
 3. A device for use in applying jackets to books as claimed in claim 2 wherein said depending extensions are of dovetail configuration for cooperation with said openings in the base also of dovetail configuration, said locking means further including a threaded member for urging the block into biased engagement with the base locking the block to the base.
 4. A device for use in applying jackets to books as claimed in claim 1 wherein said upright page retention means comprises vertically disposed plates supported in a spaced apart manner by the device above said stack of book jackets, said plates carried in a manner permitting adjustable spacing of the plates for the reception of closed pages of different size books.
 5. A device for use in applying jackets to books as claimed in claim 4 wherein each of said vertically disposed plates has a rounded forward edge terminating downwardly in a curved portion to facilitate page insertion between the plates and their removal from said plates.
 6. A device for use in applying jackets to books as claimed in claim 5 wherein each of said plates additionally includes a downwardly tapered wall portion to permit substantial closing of the book covers prior to removal of the jacketed book from the device. 